How to Write 獒 (áo) — Meaning “Mastiff”

Think of a proud (敖) dog (犬) standing tall — that is a mastiff. You can also imagine a Tibetan Mastiff with its mane raised, looking both proud and fierce. The top part 敖 even looks a bit like a dog with its head held high.

Yes, the top part 敖 has many strokes (10), so write it carefully: first the left 土, then the right side 攵. The bottom part 犬 (4 strokes) should be smaller and centered under the top; a common mistake is making the dog radical too large. Also remember to add the dot on the top-right of 犬, not to the left.

獒 has one dog radical 犬 at the bottom, while 猋 has three dog radicals stacked (meaning 'swift' or 'running together'). 猒 has a different top part (厌) and means 'satiated' or 'tired'. So the key visual difference is the number of dog radicals: one for mastiff, three for swift, and none for satiated.

獒 appears mostly in compound words like 藏獒 (Tibetan Mastiff), a famous breed from Tibet. In Chinese culture, Tibetan Mastiffs are prized as loyal guard dogs and status symbols, often associated with wealth and strength. The character is rarely used alone but is common in dog breed names and discussions about large guard dogs.

Common words containing 獒 include: 藏獒 (zàng áo) — Tibetan Mastiff; 獒犬 (áo quǎn) — Mastiff dog; 獒王 (áo wáng) — King of mastiffs.